For a brief moment from 2012 to 2017, American Ford enthusiasts got a taste of the amazing hot hatchbacks sold by the Blue Oval in Europe. Today, the ST badge is limited to family crossovers, but back then, the Ford Focus ST offered a genuine GTI rival from the USA. Built on the third-generation Focus, this was the first ST model that was ever sold stateside alongside the smaller (and equally amazing) Fiesta ST.
Even after VW revealed the Mk7 Golf GTI, the Focus ST still had the German outmatched on power from a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque put the Focus closer to Golf R territory briefly, which was impressive given the lower starting price. Power went to the front wheels through a manual transmission with no automatic option.
Today, the pre-facelift examples are available starting around $10,000 and depending on mileage and condition, even the post-facelift cars can be found under $15,000. If you don’t need the space and can live with less power, we also strongly recommend the Fiesta ST. Sadly, the more powerful Focus RS isn’t under $20,000 yet.
